Heat-resistant garment



Ffb 3, 1953 H. A. FROMMELT Erm. 2,627,072

HEAT-RESISTANT GARMENT Filed May 29, 1951 INVENToRs'. HORACE A. FROMMELTCYRIL P. FROMMELT ROBERT A. PHILLIPS Patented Feb. 3, V1953HEAT-RESISTANT GARMENT Horace A. Frommelt, Milwaukee, Wis., Cyril P.

Frommelt, Dubuque, Iowa, and Robert A. Phillips, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Application May-29, 1951, Serial No. 228,907

1 Claim. l

This invention relates to the art of heat protective clothing and moreparticularly to novel composite garments which are especially adaptedfor use adjacent radiant heat sources developing temperatures as high as300 F. and even in excess of 3000 F. The invention also relates to amethod of protecting humans from intense radiant heat.

Prior to our invention numerous industries, in cluding steel, glass andceramic, have been concerned with the problem of protecting employeeswho must come into proximity with heat sources developing relativelyhigh temperatures. As a result of the inability of the employees totolerate high temperatures in which the work had to be carried on, evenfor the shortest times, numerous protective devices and protectivegarments, such as coats, shields, aprons, shoe inserts, gloves andhoods, have heretofore been attempted and thoroughly tried and usedwithout solving the problem. No satisfactory protective garment hasheretofore been found which will protect a human from heat radiationsfor substantial periods of time.

It is an object of our invention to provide a protective garment whichwill enable the user to work for substantial periods of time proximateto radiant heat sources of from 300 F. to 5000 F.

It is a further object of our invention to provide a protective devicefor use as insulation against high radiated heat energies from 300 F. to5000 F.

It is a further object of our invention to provide a heat repellantgarment which includes a heat energy reflector and a non-heat-conductiveflexible fabric secured thereto.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a method forprotecting a person from excessive radiant heat in a manner which doesnot too seriously retard the mobility of the person.

Other and further objects of our invention will become apparent from thefollowing description and appended claims, reference being had totheaccompanying drawings and numerals of reference thereon wherein:

Fig. l is a front elevational view of our novel composite protectivegarment with parts broken away to show the internal structure thereof;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig.1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross section taken on a segment of the compositewall and illustrating the manner in which the metallic foil is bondedand mounted with respect to the outer and inner layers of material; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross section of one of the sleeves, as taken on aplane indicated by line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

It is an unusual feature of this invention that foils of metals whichare normally good heat conductors have now been found to be good heatreflectors. The garments of the invention may be worn in close proximityto radiant heats from 300 F. to 5000 F. and the inner protected fabriclayer will not become scorched. Neither will the wearer feel any greatdiscomfort from heat because the rays of radiant heat are beingreflected away from his body by the normally heat-conducting metallicfoil. For example radiant heat at about 2000 F. may be brought intoclose proximity with the foil surface of our garment, and even thoughthis is above the kindling temperature of the sheet of fabric backing onthe foil, the fabric will remain cool and unscorched.

Referring now to the drawings in which one embodiment of our inventionis illustrated, numeral IIJ designates a heat resistant coat which has abody portion II, sleeves I2 and an upwardly extending collar I3 which isdesigned to protect the neck. Adjacent the edge of the coat and collaropening are a plurality of fastening elements I4 and cooperatingfastening tabs or bends I 5 which are secured at one end thereof to theopposite edge of the coat by securing elements designated as IE. It willbe appreciated that any suitable fastening means for securing the edgesof the coat about the body of the user may be used.

The garment illustrated in the drawings comprises a plurality of layerswhich are arranged to provide maximum heat repellancy and yet permitmaximum freedom of movement, as will hereinafter become apparent.

.The outermost layer, which is designated by the numeral I'I, of theentire garment comprises a suitable non-heat-conductive material such aswoven asbestos or the like. Such outer layer II provides the firstbarrier to the heat. Extended -along the major portion of the body II ofgarment I0 and suitably secured to the outer layer -or fabric I'I bylines of stitching I8 is a radiant heat reflecting layer I9 which facesoutwardly and which is preferably not secured to the outernon-conductive layer I'I except along the lines of stitching I8. Afabric backing 20 of a material such as canvas, rayon, wool, nylon andother natural or artificial fabric is secured along its entire outersurface to the entire inner surface of the radiant heat-reflecting layerI9. Such securance may be achieved by a suitable adhesive sleeveV lining23.

ISa (Fig. 3). The heat-reecting layer I3 may be a metal foil and ispreferably a foil of a good heat-conducting metal such as aluminum,copper, gold and silver.

As illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the sleeves I2 are secured to the bodyII by lines of stitching which are designated as 2 I. In the broken awayportion of Fig. 1 and in Fig. 2 the foil and canvas layers 'I9 and 29respectively terminate short of the seam 2I and terminate in the bodyportion I I along a path spaced from the seam 2I. Lines of stitching 22secure the edges of the foil and of the canvas to the outer asbestoslayer II adjacent to though spaced from the sleeve section. Byterminating short of the arm seam`2I freedom cf movement of the arm isprovided without danger of cracking the heat reflecting foil layer I9.In Figs. 1 and 2, a sleeve lining 23 is providedand is secured bysuitable stitching in the areas ofthe body portions beyond the edges ofthe foil layer IzS and the canvasz20, and such sleeve lining 23 extendsto the irregular curved edge portions of the sleeves.

In Figs. 1, 2 and 4, the sleeves comprise an outer non-heat-conductinglayer Il. The layer of 4foil I9 and the layer of canvas 20 which aresecured along the inner edges of the foil terminate short of the armseam2I andare secured to the outer asbestos layer -by lines of stitching 24which lines of stitching also connect the asbestos outer layer I1 andfoil and canvas layers I9 and 29 to the Such construction permitsadequate freedom of movement at the lelbow and at `the shoulder withoutdanger kof cracking or breakage of the foil.

To provide comfort to the wearer the sleeves are lined with an innerabsorbent liner or layer 23 made of a felt fabric or the like and suchfelt fabric layer 23 extends out of the sleeve into the body portionwhere the liner 23 is secured along its innermost edge by the lines ofstitching designated vas 22.

It is 'found that good heat protection is obtained by mounting the outerface of the foil adjacent the outer fabric layer I'I preferably leavingan vopen space between the foil layer I9 and the outer fabric layer I'I.

The garment may be made less elaborately than hereinabove described andstill provide unusual protection against excessive radiant heat. In one'embodimentfof the invention a laminated composite sheet of protectivematerial is prepared by bonding together a layer of metallic foil and apiece-of woven fabric. The sheet may be made up intoa protective garmentwith the 'foil side facing outward or it may be tacked to a jacket toform an outer protective portion thereof. In any event the fabricbacking will remain cool and unscorched even when the foil surface isbrought close to a source of radiant heat far above the kindlingtemperature of the fabric. The normally heat-conductive metallic foilwill be found to have reflected heat instead of conducting it.

As many changes could be made in the above construction, and as manyapparently widely different embodiments of our invention within thescope of the claim could be constructed without departing from thespirit and scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained inthe ac'cornpar'iy'ing specification shall be interpreted as illustrativeand not in a limiting sense.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows: In a protective garment forreflecting high temperature heat, an openable main body portion offire-resistant fabric material having shoulder portions and sleeveopenings; a pair of sleeves attached about said sleeve openings to saidbody portion and providing stitched seams; a flexible fabric lining sewnto said garment body portion and to said sleeves along the edges thereofand disposedfalong the inner face of said body portion and said sleevefaces; a heat-reflecting metallic foil bonded to said lining along thegreater portion thereof, said metallic foil terminating short of saidseams and terminating short of the elbow portions of saidsleeves toprovide for greater flexibility in the areas of said seams and in theareas of said elbow portions; and lines of stitching securing the edgesof said metallic foil to said lin- HORACE A. FROMMELT.

CYRIL P. FROMMELT.

ROBERT A. PHILLIPS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 875,976 Ball Jan. 7, 19081,082,214 Robinson Dec. 23, 1913 2,331,283 Wheeler Oct. l2, 1943 FOREIGNPATENTS Number Country Date 323,736 Italy Jan. 5, 1935 446,943 GreatBritain May 9, 1936

